Hello Shining Souls,
As we pass through this equinox portal, I’d love to share some membership updates, especially as we descend towards Samhain, which in itself presents an opportunity to tend to our inner world.
For me, The Celtic Creatives is about soul work rooted in the Irish and wider Celtic traditions. I want this to be your Hill of Tara, your sacred sanctuary, a place that you can go to tend to your soul in the presence of your ancestors, and supported by a kinship of others who also devote time to being in relationship and co-creation with their souls. Remember:
‘One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times.’
Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Do Not Lose Heart, We Were Made for These Times
The Selkie Studio
I have decided to let go of The Selkie Studio and give it over to Samhain’s soil. I know it has been a temenos for the small group who can come every once in a while, as it has been for me. However, given its very small turnout, I feel it would be best to transform this into something that can reach more of the community here. Our final gathering in this iteration will be this week so do come along if you are free. It’s on Thursday, 25th September 2025, 16:00-17:00 Irish Time and the Zoom link is below.
Symbol Tending
As The Selkie Studio goes into Samhain, a new community space springs into life, into its own Imbolc, a space I am calling Symbol Tending. For one week per month around the time we would usually have The Selkie Studio, I will curate a community space through the chat function on Substack for us to do some symbol work.
‘Without the metaphor, the mind may be fed, but the imagination and heart go hungry. Without the pondering in the soul, the banquet table in dreams may be laden, but the food is not assimilated and so the soul starves.’
Marion Woodman, The Ravaged Bridegroom
I believe that our souls communicate to us through the symbolic, through the realm of dreams, myths, folk and fairy tales, poetics, the arts, synchronicities, through moments of mystery that reveal themselves to us if we are attuned enough to catch them. Working with symbols is about the felt sense. Remind yourself as you read these words of a piece of art that captivated you without you fully knowing why. Or a particular image or symbol that you were obsessed with as a child. Or a word from a myth that wanted to live in your mouth. Or a dream whose image followed you around all day like a night twin.
‘Thus a word or an image is symbolic when it implies something more than its obvious meaning. It has a wider “unconscious” aspect that is never precisely defined or fully explained.’
Carl G. Jung in Man and His Symbols
Our ancestors left a trail of symbolic mystery across this island, symbols that 5,000 years later we still do not fully understand, yet they activate an energy within us. It’s paradoxical—we know and yet we don’t know, we feel the energy, we feel the magic, but what does it mean?
Over these days, the famous ‘Equinox Stone’ in Cairn T, the tomb-womb of the Cailleach on her mountain in Loughcrew, is illuminated by the rising equinox sun. As light penetrates this passage tomb and ancient temple, it is drawn to the back of the chamber where it hits the Equinox Stone. What’s so extraordinary is that the sun illuminates key symbols on this stone as it progresses, a stunning interplay between light, stones, and shadows, an ancient code still unknown to us.
So let’s follow in the spirit of our ancestors and tend to the symbols alive within us each month. Who knows what may emerge…
‘The metaphor, or the symbol, heals because it speaks to the total person.’
Marion Woodman, The Ravaged Bridegroom
What Lies Ahead
I have updated your schedule to reflect these changes. Towards the end of October, I will share an updated 3-month schedule for the season of Samhain.
This week, we have our final gathering of The Selkie Studio on Thursday, 25th September 2025, 16:00-17:00 Irish Time.
Next week on Tuesday, the 30th, I will share a new mythic ancestor profile, where we’ll explore Étaín, a fairywoman and sovereignty goddess from one of Ireland’s oldest and most magical myths.
On 7th October, you will receive a new ritual to support your soul work over the month ahead.
On 23rd October, 20:00-21:30, we will have our Fairytale Céilí, myth and movement class with our theme: Tochmarc Étaíne, ‘The Wooing of Étaín’. I’ll share more closer to the time.
The week of 27th October, we will open our inaugural Symbol Tending community space. Perhaps a symbol in the form of an image or word might emerge from the fairytale céilí for you to tend to that week.
On 28th October, another mythic ancestor will come knocking on your door, let’s see who reveals themselves.
Coming Home to Tara
If you haven’t had time recently to be in this space as I sometimes don’t with the memberships I’m subscribed to, please know that every moment offers a doorway of connection.
A simple way back is to feel into what you need at this time, for example:
If you feel you are holding a lot in your body and need to move to release, to metabolise, to call in what you desire for your life, choose a fairytale céilí and gift yourself a 90-minute class this week. There are 8 classes to choose from here.
Or perhaps, you’re seeking guidance at this time, choose one of our rituals to support you like the Sheela na Gig Vision Quest or Meet Your Future Self with Goddess Áine. There are 19 rituals to choose from here.
Or you simply desire to feel the presence of your mythic ancestors in your life, the goddesses and gods of your lineage, brew a cuppa and delve into your Mythic Ancestors eBook.
Remember, there’s also your Make Self Care, Soul Care eBook with suggestions on soul care in these times.